An online version of the Philippine Harvest, a trade and food expo, was launched recently to adapt to the current coronavirus disease(COVID-19) global health crisis and to the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) now being enforced.
Through the innovative “online trade fair,” consumers may order directly from the social media accounts of the participating farmers and producers and deliveries will be made via courier services such as GrabExpress and Lalamove.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) said the Philippine Harvest Facebook page at facebook.com/PhilippineHarvestwill feature products from 27 local food producers.
“With our efforts in taking the Philippine Harvest online, we are showing that COVID-19 will not stop our mission of making locally-sourced food sustainable and available to Filipinos,” Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said.
“The hardworking farmers of our farm tourism sites and MSMEs can still receive the support they need.”
“Not only can Filipinos continue to enjoy the best of local food products, but the hardworking farmers of our farm tourism sites and MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) can still receive the support they need,” Romulo-Puyat added.
DOT’s Philippine Harvest Trade Fair was started in 2018 in partnership with the SSI Group and the Central Square Mall at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig to champion the richness of Philippine agriculture, through the marketing of local, organic, artisanal, and indigenous food products from each of the Philippines’ regions.
The endeavor aims to link the farms to new markets as well as promote local cuisine and ingredients amid the community quarantine.
The participation of featured merchants is free of charge, and intends to soften the economic impact of the pandemic on local food and farm producers, DOT said.